


Schooling

by JulietsEmoPhase



Series: Parenting [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Family Fluff, M/M, No Smut, Post Hogwarts AU, Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2015-05-13
Packaged: 2018-03-30 08:56:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3930745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulietsEmoPhase/pseuds/JulietsEmoPhase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Harry and Draco's youngest son has some trouble at school with a teacher, they have to step in and defend not only him but their whole family. </p><p>Post Hogwarts Drarry. Fluff, no smut. Follows on from "Waiting".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Schooling

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of my other story “Waiting”. I’ve decided to write a few fics as part of this “Parenting” universe, because I really like Jamie and Lucian haha. 
> 
> This is also a birthday present for lovely Lel (@lel-homes) over on Tumblr. I’m sorry it’s a bit late darling, I hope you still like it!
> 
> xJx

Schooling

 

 

   Lucian Potter clamped his tongue between his teeth and concentrated on holding the black crayon so it wouldn’t break like the yellow one had.  He had a lot of work to do, and the other kids on his table were already squabbling over the pink and the green so he didn’t want to lose his most important colours before they all got blunt.

   Lucian loved waxy crayons.  He had a big, fat sketch book at home and a whole drawer full of coloured pencils to fill up its pages with, but the best, most sharpest crayons he kept by his bed.  His big brother Jamie knew he could borrow any of the colours from the drawer, but this one time he had taken a special one without permission and it broke.  Lucian had got so sad he had cried, and he _hated_ crying in front of Jamie, but both daddies had been really cross and told him off, and he never ever took another special crayon after that.

   The kids on Lu’s table were just as bad as Jamie though, they pressed too hard and were too messy with the paper.  Lu ignored them and carried on, breathing slowly as he traced the black lines up and down and around.

   Ms Green was off sick, so they had a new teacher just for today who had pretty blonde hair like Daddy Draco, and her name was Ms Robinson.  Ms Robinson had said they could spend the rest of the day drawing, and she wanted to see their favourite thing from home.

   Mandeep was drawing his train set, and Heather said she was doing her mummy and her baking cakes.  Jimmy had simply drawn a circle with a couple of squares on it, said it was his football, then thrown himself under the table to play spies with Saffron under the table opposite.  Lel, Lucian’s best friend, said her favourite thing was her bed because that’s where her daddy read her her books, and also where her teddy bears and dolls lived.  She was currently working on her curtains, but she promised when she was done, Lu could have the red crayon.

   Lu needed a lot of colours, because he was drawing a lot of people.  His favourite thing about his home was that it was always full of his many, many family members, not just Jamie and his daddies and Grandma Sissy.  He needed the red so he could do Aunt Ginny’s hair, and Uncle Ron’s and Cousin Rose and Hugo.  Brown was for Auntie Hermione, and black for Jamie, Daddy Harry, Auntie Cho, Cousin Nymphy, Auntie Pansy and Uncle Blaise.  He tapped the nub of the crayon.  Uncle Blaise had black skin though, and so did Cousin Simeon, so should he use black or would brown be better?  Brown, he decided, so then they could still have black eyes. 

   Lu had almost made it all the way through with the yellow for his, Grandma Sissy’s and Daddy Draco’s hair, but it had been broken before he’d even got it so it wasn’t very good and had snapped again just when he was finishing.  Lu thought maybe Daddy could have had a haircut, and then it would be okay.  He could explain that if anyone asked. 

   _Blue!_ he realised suddenly with horror.  Where was a blue, he needed that for Teddy’s hair!  Teddy was his very favourite best cousin, and although he liked having his hair lots of colours, blue was the best and no other colour would do.  He looked around anxiously, a knot in his tummy, then he spotted that Mandeep had it in front of him.

   It was too far to reach for, so he bit his lip for a minute and glanced at Lel to see if she might help.  But she was busy using the brown he had given her to draw her teddy bear.  He took in a deep breath.  “Um, excuse me Mandeep,” he said.  Mandeep was bigger than him and he felt a bit scared.  “Please may I have the blue crayon?”

   Mandeep looked up suspiciously.  “You’ve got lots of crayons,” he said bluntly, and picked up the blue even though he was still using the grey on his train.  “This one’s mine.”

   Lu felt tears at the back of his eyes.  “I only need it quickly,” he pleaded.

   The other kids on the table were looking at them now, and Lucian swallowed even though his mouth was dry.  “Why don’t you swap one?” Heather suggested merrily, but Lu pulled his pencils closer.  He had chosen them specially, they were the longest and the sharpest, he didn’t want to share, but he only wanted the blue for Teddy’s hair.  He would give it back right away, he swore!

   But instead he blinked back tears and just looked at his picture. 

   Lel, his very favourite friend, came to help him though.  “Lucian’s really fast,” she said, pointing at his picture.  Jimmy came up from under the table to take a break from spying and see what they were talking about.  “Look, he’s _amazing._ I bet he can use the blue and you won’t even know it’s missing!”

   Mandeep got up from his seat and Lu felt scared he might ruin his picture, but he just came to the other side of the circular table and looked at Lu’s work.  “Wow,” he said, his jaw open and eyebrows high.  “How did you do that?”

   “Look at all the faces,” Heather cried to Jimmy as they all gathered by his shoulders. 

   He nodded back to her.  “They’re all smiling.”

   “You’re so good,” said Lel sagely.  “I bet one day you’ll make books for children, and they’ll get read out in story time.”

   Lucian had been worried with everyone standing next to him and looking at his special picture, but they were being so nice he guessed maybe it was okay. 

   “It’s my family,” he said simply. 

   Mandeep jabbed a finger at Daddy Harry.  “Why does your daddy have a broken face?”

   “It’s not broken,” said Lucian hurriedly.  “It’s his scar.”  He stopped short though.  He wasn’t supposed to talk about Daddy’s scar with the Muggle children.  He hoped he wasn’t in trouble.

   Lel tapped Mandeep on the shoulder.  “How about you give Lucian the blue now, he can show us what it’s for, then you can have it back?”

   “It’s just for hair,” he said, pointing the currently bald Teddy. 

   _“Cool!”_ said Jimmy.  “Blue hair!”

   Mandeep scowled for a minute, then held out the crayon.  Lucian was so happy he didn’t mind everyone was watching him, and he finished Teddy quickly.  Now everyone had hair!  He could give them all nice clothes in whatever colours he liked, he was nearly finished!

   “Can I keep watching you do your picture?” Heather asked.  “I like it, it’s pretty.”      

   Jimmy nodded eagerly, and Lel smiled nicely at Lu.  He was glad she was his friend, she looked after him, so he didn’t mind the others if she was there.  “Okay,” he said, and picked up the green crayon.  He’d done Daddy Harry’s eyes, but Daddy Draco liked wearing green shirts to work, so Lu set about happily filling in the black lines he’d already drawn. 

   “Well what’s going on here?” asked Ms Robinson.  She was tall and slim and pretty, and Lu wanted to give her a hug but you weren’t supposed to hug teachers, even ones that were only there for one day.  Instead he looked up smiling, happy all his friends liked his picture and eager to show it to her too, even if it wasn’t finished.

   “Lucian is _sooo_ good,” Lel announced. 

   Ms Robinson crossed her arms.  “So you all just decided to give up your own pictures and watch him instead?”

   The three kids standing up all looked worried suddenly, and Mandeep wasted no time grabbing his blue crayon back before racing over to his own seat again.  Ms Robinson chuckled, but Lu wasn’t so sure he wanted to cuddle her any more, even if she did have fancy Muggle clothes and smelled like flowers. 

   She shooed the others away too, and bent over to look at what Lucian had been doing.  “That’s very good Lucian,” she said.  “But I asked you to draw the favourite thing in your house?”

   He frowned, then felt the tears again.  Had he got it wrong, oh no!  “It’s my family _inside_ my house,” he explained, hoping that was okay.

   But Ms Robinson laughed, and it wasn’t a nice laugh like Auntie Ginny’s, it made Lu more worried.  “Surely not _all_ these people live with you?” she asked. 

   “Um,” said Lu.  “Well, not all the time, but the house is better when they are, so that’s when it’s my favourite.”

   “Like a birthday party?” the teacher suggested.  He just shrugged.  His daddies had the biggest house, so there was always lots of room and they made dinners and played hide and seek and had sleepovers.  They didn’t ever really need a _reason._

   She took hold of the edge of the picture, and Lucian’s heart skipped a beat.  He didn’t like people touching his drawings.  “Does this boy have blue hair?” she asked, tapping a long, red nail on Teddy’s face.

   Lucian gulped.  Teddy wasn’t supposed to have blue hair, only older Muggles could do that, not kids, he was _definitely_ in trouble.  “It’s a hat,” he said, thinking that might be okay.

   “Oh,” she said.  “Well this is nice, but I think maybe you should just have done your mummy and daddy, there’s too many people on here.  Show me your mummy and daddy, maybe we can cut the others off?”

   Lucian felt sick.  _Cut his drawing!_ He couldn’t seem to make his mouth work, and Lel patted his shoulder.  “Maybe you can start again, then you can have two drawings?” she suggested.

   Ms Robinson smiled at her, but Lu still felt ill.  “What a clever idea.  Look – Lel has done a picture of her and her daddy!  Isn’t that nice?  If you just do your mummy and daddy it will be fairer to the other little boys and girls.”

   Lel blinked at the teacher.  “But Ms,” she said, with Heather and Jimmy and Mandeep watching.  “Lucian doesn’t have a mummy.”

   “Of course he does,” giggled Ms Robinson.  “Who’s tummy did you come out of?”

   Lucian felt relieved, he knew this answer.  “Auntie Pansy,” he said, pointing at her face but carefully not to touch or smudge.  Then he pointed at the middle.  “That’s my daddies there, and my brother Jamie came out of Auntie Ginny’s tummy.  But Harry and Draco are our daddies, so we live with them, and cousin Nymphy lives with her mummies, and cousin Simeon lives with his mummy and daddy, because Blaise is his daddy not my daddy.”

   He was pretty proud of himself, he loved knowing how all his family fit together, he liked to explain it back to his daddies after they told him all about it, it made him feel happy to understand. 

   But then he looked up and Ms Robinson seemed cross, and his heart began to beat faster.  He didn’t mean to be naughty, he wasn’t sure what he was doing so wrong.  He _liked_ his picture of his family. 

   “I see,” said Ms Robinson.  Lucian thought maybe he should say he was sorry, because he thought he must have made her mad.  But he hated saying he was sorry when he had been a good boy, so he just gripped harder on the green crayon and hoped she would be happy again. 

   But to his horror, she picked up the drawing, and gave him a clean piece of paper.  “I think maybe you should start again sweetie,” she said, and smiled at him, but there was something horrible there he didn’t like.  “What else do you like about your home, do you have any pets maybe?  Ayesha is drawing her dog, do you have a dog?”

   Lucian nodded miserably as she wandered off with his picture.  He did have a dog, and he felt bad for forgetting to add Padfoot to his other drawing, but he would now if he could have it back. 

   He didn’t speak to anyone as he drew his big, black shaggy dog, biting his lip until the bell rang to let them go home.  “Are you okay?” Lel asked him yet again as they went to get their coats, art projects clutched in hand to give to their parents, but he just ignored her, eyes stuck to the ground.  Except when he shuffled past Ms Green’s desk, where Ms Robinson now waved them all goodbye, smiling and telling them she hoped to see them again soon.  He wasn’t looking at her shiny blonde hair though, or her straight white teeth.

   He was looking at the almost finished picture of his family, stranded on her desk, probably about to go in the bin.

 

***

 

   Draco absolutely loved it when Harry could take time off work so they could pick the boys up from school together.  They tried taking time to work from home equally, but it was much easier for Draco, and quite honestly, he loved the extra couple of hours he got with his scamps. But on days like this, when the weather was breezy and bright, and he and Harry could have a few hours just pottering about themselves before the whirlwinds returned, he felt peaceful and happy in ways he never could have fathomed earlier in his life. 

   The bell would ring in a couple of minutes, and once their seven and four year-old had raced over to them, they would go to the play park for a special treat, then maybe even to the pizza place for dinner.  Lu was so fussy, it was a miracle they were able to eat out anywhere, but _Little Italia_ was a sure-fire win so they liked to take advantage of that whenever the four of them were together.  

   Harry had a far-off look about him, so Draco slipped his hand into his and gave it a quick squeeze, bringing him back to reality.  “Sorry,” he said bashfully.  “Was thinking about a case.”

   “Naughty Daddy,” said Draco, raising an eyebrow, and Harry chuckled. 

   “Yes, okay, guilty,” he threw up his free hand in defeat.  “It won’t happen again.”

   Draco nudged Harry’s trainer with his toe.  “I thought maybe we could go for pizza tonight, if the boys have been good?”

   Harry smiled, and it still had a way of releasing butterflies in Draco’s stomach.  “Any particular reason?”

   He shrugged.  “You’re home today, thought it might be nice?”

   Harry just smiled further, then pecked a kiss on Draco’s check.  “Sounds good to me,” he said, but Draco was too busy swatting him off. 

   “Don’t give the yummy mummies any more fuel for their gossip!” he hissed good naturedly, looking over at the usual gaggle of well-dressed mums who, sure enough, were openly looking over at them and practically giggling like school girls. 

   Now it was Harry’s turn to raise an eyebrow.  “They know you’re married right.  And _gay?”_

   Draco made a mock show of exasperation.  “Of course they do, that just seems to make them fancy me more for some reason!”

   Harry gave him a lazy look that was borderline dangerous.  “Perhaps I should do the school run with you more often,” he teased, moving in closer.  “Make it _quite_ clear that you are all mine, Draco Malfoy.”

   A shiver ran up his spine, and he wished he could have delved in for a proper snog right there and then.  It was easy to get caught up in the humdrum of everyday life, and romance wasn’t always possible with two young boys.  In fact, if they got an hour alone in the evening it was a small miracle, but that was why days like this were his favourite.  They brought the spark back, even if it was only flirting in the school playground. 

   The bell suddenly alarmed to signal the end of the day for pupils at Marlborough Primary School, and Draco grinned at his husband, braced for the return of their two boys. 

   It only seemed like ten minutes ago since Jamie had been born, but then in the blink of an eye they had his lovely little Lu too, and they’d moved to Wiltshire to make Malfoy Manor their family home.  There was more than enough room – it made sense – plus they could live with his mother which made everyone happy.  After deciding it would be easier for the boys to just take Potter as their last name (for obvious, Death-Eater related reasons), Draco felt the least he as a Malfoy could offer was his outrageous family estate. 

   Plus, it was close to Marlborough, and seeing as Harry wanted the boys to have a Muggle education before Hogwarts, it was important to get them into a good school, and this was the best in the area.  Draco had made half an argument for traditional magical home-schooling with a tutor, but Harry wanted them to make more friends, get a broader view of the world, and Draco was utterly useless at saying no to Harry.  He had to admit they seemed to love it on the whole, and had coped remarkably well not mentioning anything magical to their Muggle friends and teachers. 

   Draco wanted his boys to have every opportunity he’d been denied by his father’s narrow upbringing, and seeing them at football matches and in school plays, well, it made him hope they would never turn down a shady path like he had once.

   He shook himself as a familiar dark brown head of hair came charging towards them, a miniature of Harry in almost every way aside from his piercing blue eyes.  But his energy, his courage, his fierce loyalty was everything that had made Draco fall in love with his father, and he loved it even more in his first born.

   “Daddy!” he bellowed at Harry as he tore over to them.  “Daddy didn’t say you were going to be here today!”  He launched himself at Harry’s waste, making both his fathers laugh as his backpack almost swung entirely off his shoulders. 

   “I did see you this morning you know?” Harry teased ruffling his hair. 

   “Yeah but you _never_ pick us up from school, it’s so cool!”

   Draco sighed dramatically as Lucian approached.  “Of course I’m just the boring old dad you see _every day_ , so I don’t get a hug do I?”

   Jamie bounded over and hugged him obediently, but Draco didn’t take it for granted.  All too soon he’d be _way_ too embarrassed to do such a thing, so Draco was going to enjoy it while it lasted.  Lu seemed a bit quiet, even for him, but Harry crouched down to great him as Jamie started jabbering on at Draco.  “We studied Henry the Eighth today Dad,” he said.  “Did you know he had _six_ wives! And he _killed_ two of them!”

   Jamie loved gory history, and it made Draco laugh.  He tried never to bring up any of his own gory history, he didn’t want Jamie to feel guilty for wanting to learn, but it was hard for Draco to remember those schoolboy days of thinking bloody battles and scary dictators were cool.  Or, a little too easy perhaps. 

   Harry had cuddled Lucian and taken a drawing of a dog from his hands.  “This is really good Lu,” he said genuinely.  Lucian was a very talented artist for his age and he loved whiling away hours with his sketch pad, but he just glanced picture and looked like he wanted to burst into tears. 

   “Dad, Dad, he _beheaded_ them, isn’t that horrible!” Jamie carried on, tugging at Draco’s hand. 

   “Hang on a minute mate,” he told his son.  “I think something’s up with LuLu.”

   Jamie instantly dropped Draco’s hand and spun around to his brother.  “What’s wrong Lu?” he demanded, and Lucian looked up at him with big, wet, brown eyes.  Jamie huffed, stomped around behind his little brother and wrapped his arms around his shoulders.  “Why is LuLu sad?” he demanded fiercely of Harry.   

   Harry’s mouth twitched in a look of both pride and exasperation.  “I don’t know yet,” he said, and held up the drawing to Lucian as Draco crouched down too.  “What’s up baby?” he asked and Draco took his son’s hand.

   “I drew a picture,” Lu said, and Harry shook the one in his hand.

   “I can see,” he said encouragingly.  “Of Padfoot, I think it’s definitely one for the wall.”

   But Lucian bit his lip, and Draco rubbed the back of his small knuckles with his thumb.  “Don’t you think it’s good?” he asked.

   Lucian shrugged and Jamie scowled, presumably because his dads weren’t fixing his brother fast enough.  “I drew another picture,” said Lu eventually in a small voice.

   Draco glanced at Harry, who shook his head slightly to say he didn’t understand either.  “Can we see that one?”

   Lu’s lip wobbled, and Draco could feel his temper rising dangerously.  Someone had made his baby boy cry, that much was obvious, and he was going to find and wallop whoever had dared do such a stupid thing. 

   “The lady didn’t like it,” said Lu.

   Harry frowned.  “Ms Green?” he asked.  Linda Green was a delightful old bird in her sixties who refused to retire and loved all her kids with the enthusiasm of a teacher a third of her age.  It was unlikely she had reduced Lucian to this state.

   “Oh!” cried Jamie, pleased with himself.  “They said in assembly that Ms Green was off sick today, so Lu had a sub.”  He spun his brother around and shocked Lucian a little out of his stupor.  “Did you have a new teacher LuLu?”

   Their youngest nodded.  “She took my drawing away, she didn’t like it.”

   Draco exhaled.  Well that was easy enough, she probably just made a mistake.  “Hey buddy, that’s okay,” he said brightly.  “We’ll just go ask her for it back yeah?  I’m sure it’s alright.” 

   “Good plan Daddy,” said Harry.  Draco still loved it when he called him that, he felt it was a novelty that would never wear off.  “What was the picture of Lu, so we can ask the lady if you can have it back?”

   Draco hoped it wasn’t anything inappropriate, though if either of their sons were going to get in trouble for blood and guts or rude words, it would most definitely be the Jamie Monster. 

   “It was all my family,” said Lu, and now his face was questioning, asking for an explanation.  “Of my daddies and aunties and uncles and cousins and I was going to put Padfoot on but I forgot, but it didn’t have a mummy, so I think it was wrong.”

   Draco registered the cold look on Harry’s face even before his own spike of anger.  Harry clenched his jaw, and Draco couldn’t help but rest a hand on his elbow.  Harry only had eyes for Lucian though.  “Babe,” he said pleasantly enough, but if Draco knew the barely concealed anger simmering below was aimed at him, he would have run for cover.  “Did the lady make you feel bad because you don’t have a mummy?”

   LuLu nodded, and Draco’s anger almost went from concealed like Harry’s to full blown volcano.  Before he could even start to rant though, Harry exhaled and smiled at their boys.  “How about we go get that drawing back Lu, I think we need to put it next to the Padfoot one on the fridge, yeah?”

   Lucian swallowed.  “Okay,” he said in a small voice with a nod. 

   “Yeah!” cried Jamie with his usual exuberance.  Draco couldn’t hold back, and he scooped Lu up to carry him back inside the school’s old red bricks.  He loved his boys equally, without contest, but LuLu was still so young, and he was _his_ baby, and he was positively boiling at the idea of anyone making him upset about not having a “proper” family, especially when he was perhaps not old enough to even understand fully or defend himself adequately. 

   They’d been to Ms Green’s classroom several times since Jamie and Lu had started school, so didn’t need to ask directions as they stepped inside the cool and quiet corridors of Marlborough Primary.  Jamie jogged along in between his two dads, hand swinging in Harry’s happily.  Draco marvelled in his faith.  He believed Lucian’s issue would be sorted by them no problem, he was probably already thinking about what pizza topping he wanted to order that evening.

   Draco had had a similar faith in his own father, but it had come from fear he reasoned, on both their parts; Lucius wielded fear and Draco lived in it.  But Jamie’s confidence came from knowing his fathers would always do right by him, and that made Draco prouder than any test scores or sports wins could ever manage.  And as they walked in to Ms Green’s classroom, he had no doubt that Lucian would grow up knowing that too.

   “Good afternoon,” said Harry cheerfully, leading the rest of the family inside.  “Am I to assume you were Lucian Potter’s teacher today?”

   A skinny blonde woman in her early twenties gave them a sparkling smile from where she was sat writing reports at the desk.  Her coiffured hair hung in fat, bouncy curls, like that Muggle pop star Draco kept seeing on shampoo adverts.  Bright red lips and matching red nails made her look more ready for a night on the lash rather than teaching reception class, and her knock off Marc Jacobs bag added to an overall effect that screamed _cheap_ at Draco, raising his hackles even further. 

   “I was,” she said perkily, standing and extending her hand.  “Sarah Robinson, how can I help?”

   Draco did not miss the way her eyes glided over him and Harry, and he swallowed back his snarl.  Lu sat up straight in his arms, wide eyes down on the desk, where it wasn’t hard to spot his signature style art work.  “Ah,” he said as Harry shook hands with the harpy.  “I think that’s what we’re after, isn’t it mate?”  Lu nodded eagerly, and without asking permission, Draco picked up the half finished crayon drawing of the Potter-Malfoy clan and their subsidiaries, and handed it back to his son.

   “I guess,” Harry said, addressing Robinson as she opened her mouth to protest.  “We were just a little confused as to why our son’s drawing was taken away from him.  He was very upset when he came out of school to us.”

   She gave them a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.  “Well I certainly didn’t mean to upset you Lucian,” she cooed at him, but he just gave her a scowl that did his Slytherin heritage justice.  Sensing she was losing the battle there, she turned back to Harry, whom she seemed to have decided was in charge over Draco.  “I was merely thinking of the other children,” she informed them.  “If I had known how much the picture meant to Lucian, I would have made more of an effort to give it back.  But, in my defence, he didn’t ask for it.  He seemed happy with the new picture he drew.”

   “He didn’t ask for it, because he felt like he had done something wrong,” Draco growled, but Harry gave him the smallest of glances that communicated he wanted to tackle this, and Draco backed down.  His wand was in his pocket, and even with Lu in his arms he couldn’t trust himself not to whip out a Bat Bogey Hex if this woman carried on like she was. 

   “I’m not one much for beating about the bush, Ms Robinson,” said Harry calmly.  “I can’t help but feel like you made my son feel ashamed of his family, and I wanted to give you a chance to explain your side of it.”

   Robinson laced her fingers together in front of her.  “Mr Potter,” she said coolly.  “I have no idea what your family…situation is,” she said, flicking her eyes at Draco.  “But the other children were asking questions and I felt it inappropriate to be exposed to something which might cause them confusion or uncomfortableness.” 

   Harry raised his eyebrows and shared a look with Draco.  “I’m not sure quite what you mean, Ms Robinson,” he said with barely concealed sarcasm.  “All I can see is a happy family picture, and as you can also see, my son is quite talented when it comes to drawing.  I’m sure the other children were just admiring his work.”

   Robinson narrowed her eyes fractionally.  “As an educator, it is my responsibility to help guide young minds,” she said.  “It is not my place to pass judgement on anyone’s living arrangements or lifestyle choices, but I will shelter these children from harmful influences as I see fit.”

   Draco had lost his rag at ‘lifestyle choices’, and if he’d had his way he would have marched this hideous beast down to the head’s office and demanded her resignation right there and then.  He would have also thrown in the fact she was insulting the hero of the magical world in for good measure, before turning her into a toad.

   But this was why Harry had asked him to let him take charge.  He just laughed at her, which got Jamie going whilst Draco and Lu watched on.  Jamie was still swinging on his dad’s hand whilst he gawped up at the adults talking, unabashedly glancing from one to the other like he was following a Quaffle between chasers. 

   “It sounds like you’re worried the gay is catching Ms Robinson,” grinned Harry, and Draco loved the way her eyes jumped in panic to Jamie’s non-pulsed face. 

   “This is the exact inappropriateness I was trying to avoid,” she hissed.

   Draco snorted, and was glad to see Lu looking happier in his arms.  “What, do you think he hasn’t noticed after seven years he’s got two dads?”

   Robinson looked like she’d sucked on a lemon.  “Like I said,” she told them with a grimace.  “It isn’t my place to comment if you chose to live an alternative lifestyle.  But if I hadn’t have taken that drawing away from the class, who knows what they might have gone home and asked their parents?”

   “Or parent,” Harry corrected.

   Robinson blinked.  “Excuse me?”

   “You said ‘parents’ – like you were assuming everyone else in this classroom has a mum and a dad they might go home to and scare with stories of Lucian’s gay heritage.”  Harry looked down and poked his tongue out at Jamie, who dutifully poked his tongue right back at his dad.  “In fact,” said Harry as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.  “I think you’re making a lot of assumptions about the families these children come from.” 

   “It’s not unusual to assume that children have normal parents Mr Potter,” said Robinson icily. 

   _“Normal?”_ Draco couldn’t help but cry.

   “Yes, very normal,” agreed Harry eagerly.  “I do believe there are no less than six _normal_ single parents who are the sole care givers for children in Lu’s class.  There’s definitely three more _normal_ children whose parents are unmarried couples, and one of those isn’t even white!”

   Robinson’s eyes darted anxiously about the room, as if worried who might be able to hear their conversation, but Harry carried on unperturbed. 

   “Oh yes, of all the _normal_ kids in this class,” Harry said.  “I think there are numerous families that are technically – what you would call them, ah yes – _immigrants,_ into this country, and we all know they’re no good.  Some of them are even on benefits – the shame!  I think there’s five or six with step-parents and step-brothers and sisters, so that complicates things too I guess.  I also know of a little boy who lives with his aunt, and another who lives with his grandparents – I didn’t bother to ask why, seems vulgar.” 

   “Isn’t Shailee Smith adopted as well?” Draco chimed in, nodding and enjoying this game.

   Harry nodded.  “Yes I do believe she is.  And then there’s Lucian.”  He stopped, and fixed Ms Sarah Robinson with the most sincere of gazes.  “With two fathers.  Did you know little Alison Brunwell also has two mothers Ms Robinson, did you feel the need to remove her art work as well for the class’ protection?”

   “And Matilda Longson told us she was pan,” Draco added with a wink as Robinson.  _“And_ she’s a single mum, so you might want to keep an extra close eye on her and her son.”

   “The point I am trying to make,” Harry said, his tone finally dropping into something far more intimidating.  “Is that out of a class of twenty seven children, only two pupils have married, white, middle class, heterosexual parents Ms Robinson.  So to impose what you deem to be _normal_ on them, and in the process upset my son, is not only highly unprofessional, but also wildly inaccurate.  You might want to reconsider your value system if you’re to continue on as a teacher.”

   Robinson blinked and puffed out her chest.  “Are you _threatening_ me, Mr Potter?” she gasped.

   “Not in the slightest,” he said sincerely.  “I’m merely suggesting that it might help you to get with the times, if you’re going to continue being relevant as an educator.”

   Draco, however, leaned forwards and tapped the desk with two fingers before shrugging Lucian back up in his arms.  “I think what my husband is trying to say,” he said, rubbing Lu’s back.  “Is that we’d be more than entitled to have your name ripped through the shredder by the school board; but we’re better people than you.  So have a nice day.”  He doffed his imaginary hat to the trollop, and followed his family out of the door. 

 

***

 

   A few hours later, Draco and Harry were curled up on the couch with cups of tea, the TV they’d managed to coax into working in Malfoy Manor on low in front of them, neither of them really watching it as they sleepily sipped their hot drinks, Padfoot the dog at their feet.  Tummies full of pizza and legs worn out from running up and down the playground, the boys hadn’t been hard to convince to go to bed without much fuss, and Draco had been able to have Harry to himself for a few hours. 

   Those hours had mostly consisted of putting loads of washing on and catching up on the work they’d both missed that day, but now they were just cuddled up quietly on the couch, lost in thought.

   Draco was stuck on the same thorny issue though, and eventually he had to voice it.  “You don’t think it _is_ a bad thing, do you,” he asked.  “That the boys don’t have a mum?”

   Harry scowled down at him, and promptly removed his mug of tea to place both it and his own one on the table, then hugged Draco into him tightly.  “Whenever people say things like that,” he growled, rocking them back and forth.  “That children should have a mum _and_ a dad, that anything less than that is cruel, I like to remind them that I had _no_ parents growing up.  Can people really argue that having two dads or two mums is somehow hurting our kids, when compared with having no parents, or bad parents?”

   Draco nodded, already reassured.  “I just want to do everything I can for them, I don’t want to hold them back in any way.”  He already felt like he did that enough with his family history, let alone adding bigoted prejudice from other people on top.

   But Harry squeezed him tight.  “And that’s _exactly_ why Jamie and Lucian are both going to be fine.  They’re _loved,_ they’re _everything_ to us, and they know it.”

   “Know it too well sometimes,” Draco grumbled, thinking about the outrageous amount of ice cream he’d allowed his sons to help themselves to from the all-you-can-eat machine that evening. 

   Harry kissed the top of his head.  “You’re a great dad.  And I’m a great dad,” he added with a grin which made Draco swat his shoulder playfully.  “If the boys need any mum-type advice, or just want to hang out with the lady folk, they’ve got their fair share with Gin and Cho, as well as Pansy and Hermione, and the rest of the Weasley Aunts and older girl cousins.”  He rubbed Draco’s arm.  “Don’t let that silly woman today bother you.”

   Draco sighed.  “I just don’t like the idea of them being bullied, because of us,” he admitted.

   Harry shrugged.  “Kids are idiots, they like bullying and teasing sometimes,” he said pointedly, digging into Draco’s ribcage.

   “Alright, _alright!”_ he said playfully.  He knew Harry was getting at him, that he’d been just dreadful to him and many others at school (and then some if you considered the whole _letting the Death Eaters in_ thing) _._   But Harry was right, kids like to make fun, and they just had to make sure their boys made it out the other side okay enough to get them to Hogwarts.

    “So you’re saying there’s nothing we can do?” he sighed reproachfully. 

   Harry shook his head.  “We make them strong, let them know how important they are so no one can shake them.  They’re tough, the world won’t beat them down that easily.”

   Jamie, yes, certainly, that was true.  But Lu was a worrier, Draco could see it.  He hashed things over and wore his heart on his sleeve.  What had happened to him today would probably happen again and again, and-

   Speak of the devil, a little voice perked up from the corridor.  “Daddy?”

   “Lu?” said Harry, he and Draco sitting up, Padfoot equally raising his head in question.  A blond head poked through the half open door.  “Hey buddy, aren’t you supposed to be asleep?” Harry asked good humouredly. 

   He gave them a sheepish look, but then came all the way into the sitting room, clad in his pyjamas, and held out a very colourful sheet of paper.  “I finished it,” he said proudly as Draco and Harry took it in their hands between them.  It was Lu’s family portrait, the one Ms Robinson had stopped him drawing.  It was complete now, filled with all the people they held dearest in their family life.  Padfoot had been added as well, and Harry held up the paper in front of the dog’s face.  “Look mate, you’re on there too!”

   Lucian giggled, and Draco pulled him in for a cuddle and a kiss.  “It’s brilliant LuLu Bear,” he said.  “Thank you very much.”

   “I love you Daddy,” he said quietly. 

   “Love you too,” Draco told him back, as Harry leaned over for his own hug.

   “And me!” cried Jamie, launching himself from the other side of the living room door into the group, dragging the rest of them down to the floor so Paddy could get involved too.  “Careful, careful!” cried Draco between laughs and the dog’s barks, rescuing the drawing Lu had spent so much time and love on, and placed it gently onto the coffee table. 

   This was his family, he mused, as he twisted back around and dove into a tickle attack on both the boys making them squeal and shriek in delight.  This noisy, messy, tangle of limbs and goofy grins, this was what made him whole, this was what he called home.

   And nobody but nobody was going to tell him otherwise.

 

 

 

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, please review! To discover more of my writing, visit www.helenjuliet.com


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